What will happen to funds raised through various MUGA fundraising events and activity if the project does not succeed?

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We have outlined in the document below what will happen to funds raised specifically for MUGA in the event that the target is not met. 

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Have parents/carers and the wider community been given an opportunity to discuss these plans?

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In October 2018, the FoH conducted a survey to assess the level of support for refurbishing the school playground. We received 182 responses from parents and carers, local residents, staff and local community  groups. Over 93% of respondents supported the installation of a MUGA pitch which recieved the most votes. The results of that survey were circulated via the school newsletter and FoH mailing list in November 2018.

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As part of the survey, we noted respondents’ concerns regarding the proposals. We have set out below answers to some of the most frequently asked questions relating to the MUGA pitch.

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How will the MUGA be used during school hours?

 

During school hours, the MUGA pitch will be used for P.E. lessons and lunch-time sports. The MUGA pitch will have line markings for football and mini-tennis. However, it can also be used for games such as netball and  dodgeball as its low surface resistance would make it suitable for most ball sports.

 

Will Halstow ensure that girls have equal access to the MUGA, and be able to play sports other than football?

 

The MUGA will be suitable for most ball sports including mini-tennis, netball, basketball, 4-Square and football. 

 

All pupils will have access to the MUGA as part of their P.E. lessons. Both boys and girls will be encouraged to participate in the lunchtime sessions and we will organise a suitable timetable to cater for all sports and all children. Mixed gender participation will be actively encouraged just as the school do in the summer months when we take groups of children over to the Pleasaunce to play football.

 

Why doesn’t the school just simply re-surface the playground with astro-turf?

 

Resurfacing alone is not a viable option for a number of reasons. The ground is not level which means that it is not suitable for playing sports. This would limit the potential uses of the area.

 

The school also needs to install fences and ball-stop netting to prevent stray balls from landing on Kemsing Road or in neighbours’ gardens. Football is currently not permitted in the playground as stray balls have  caused problems with local residents.

 

Resurfacing the playground is unlikely to qualify for external grant funding since it does not create a facility which benefits the local community.

 

If the MUGA is used for sports during break times, won’t that reduce the amount of space available for other children to play in?

 

The designated MUGA area currently sees little active use during break times as football is not permitted due to problems with Halstow’s immediate neighbours and line markings for other games (e.g. four square) are mostly located elsewhere (see map on page 3). The MUGA pitch will allow more children to make better use of the area whilst increasing their activity levels.

 

The school will also be installing a new adventure trail in April 2019, thanks to generous donations from 
parents. This will create new and exciting opportunities for the children to play in other parts of the 
playground.Along with this, the school is looking into timetabling playtimes so that less children are out at the same time and therefore more children will have access to The MUGA.

 

My child attends an after-school club on the school premises. Will the MUGA pitch be hired out externally while children are still on site?

 

The sports pitch will only be available for external hire once the after-school clubs have ended so there will be no overlap.

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I am a local resident. Will the MUGA be hired out until late at night? How will the school ensure that this does not increase anti-social behaviour in the area?

 

On weekdays, the MUGA pitch will be open from 8am to 8.15pm. On weekends, it will be open from 9am to 5pm. These opening hours will minimise disruption to local residents. The school does not anticipate an increase in anti-social behaviour in the area based on the targeted customer demographic.

 

I live very close to the school. Won’t the MUGA pitch increase the noise levels and disturb local residents, especially on weekends?

 

The MUGA pitch will be surrounded by sports rebound fencing which is rigid, thereby reducing rattle and 
noise from ball impacts. After school hours and on weekends, the MUGA pitch is most likely to be used by 
small groups due to its limited size. As such, the noise levels are expected to be relatively low.

 

Who will be allowed to use the MUGA outside of school hours? Can local residents book the MUGA for their own use and events?

 

On weekdays during term-time, the MUGA pitch will be used by after-school clubs until 6.30pm and will be available for external hire from 6.45pm to 8.15pm if there is demand for it. During school holidays, it will be available for hire by holiday clubs. On weekends, the MUGA pitch will be available for external hire from 9am to 5pm by weekend sports classes for children The school does not intend to hire out the MUGA to the general public as the additional security costs would be prohibitive. The school will consider ad hoc bookings by local residents on a case-by-case basis.

 

Will there be floodlights?

 

Floodlights will not be installed. Outdoor lights will be installed on the walls to enable use of the facilities in the evenings. This is not expected to impact local residents.

 

Traffic in the area is already very heavy and there is very limited parking. Won’t the presence of the MUGA make these problems even worse for local residents?

 

Based on the survey results, 86% of respondents who would use the pitch indicated that they would walk and only 7% (10 people) would use a car or motorcycle. We therefore do not expect a noticeable increase in the number of cars parking near the school. The school will also explore the possibility of on-site parking but this would be subject to safety considerations and planning permission.

 

How will the school ensure that the MUGA pitch is responsibly used by external parties? How will security to the school and facilities be managed at the weekend?

 

The MUGA pitch will be hired out to children’s after-school, holiday or weekend clubs which are well-known to the school. These clubs will be given access to the school premises in the same manner as existing third parties who currently hire the school halls and Bell House.

 

How will the FoH raise the large amounts of money required for this project without affecting the funds required for other items requested by the school?

 

The FoH will raise the money for this project through a combination of donations, matched funding, Gift Aid, MUGA-specific fundraising events and external grants. Please refer to page 4 for further details. Annual FoH 
events (e.g. Summer Fair, Pamper Night, etc) will continue to raise funds to support other requests by the school.